After watching NE yesterday and the Steelers all year, it's becoming clear that turnovers are largely the result of nothing but sheer luck. Pats' defenders made routine hits and tackles and Denver players just dropped the ball. A hand is an inch to the left, no turnover. If the ball doesn't bounce the right way, Denver recovers.

The Steelers, on the other hand, have been snake bit all year. How many huge hits have failed to dislodge the ball? How many loose balls squeaked through our grasp and back to the offense? Tipped balls find the empty space like my fairway irons find sand traps.

Hopefully we find Lady Luck on our side when the playoffs start and the ball starts bouncing our way. Look how Green Bay fared when she stood them up yesterday.

steeler_fan_in_t.o.

12-19-2011, 11:55 AM

I was thinking this about the game just last week. Twice we get deep and two of our most sure handed players cough up the ball. We could have easily put 21 or 17 up on the board and not handed over momentum each time.

Factor in a goal line stand by their D and you could be looking at the makings of an upset. But we still managed to find a way to win.

I'd like to know when the last time a team has finished with as many wins as we will have, perhaps even the number one seed, and had as poor a TO differential (-7) as the Steelers do.

papillon

12-19-2011, 12:08 PM

Excluding the anomaly that was the first game of the season in which the Steelers committed 7 turnovers and believed they could beat the Baltimore Ravens the Steeler turnover ratio right now is 0 (leaving out the -7 from game one). That isn't great, but with a veteran team and a push on the turnover ratio in a game (net zero) I like the Steelers chances of prevailing.

There have been a few INTs that make you go hmmm and a couple fumbles (Ward and then Miller immediately after) that have you scratching your head, but for the most part since the first game of the season the Steelers have protected the ball good enough to win football games. Not good enough to blow teams out like you would think, but good enough to win and that's why their margin if victory is small compared to other Super Bowl years.